


Welcome to Hot-lanta

by lady_meatball



Series: Welcome to Hot-lanta [1]
Category: American Actor RPF, Chris Evans (Actor) RPF
Genre: Angst, DomesticEvans!, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, K C & the Sunshine Band, K&C, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-29 03:04:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8472973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_meatball/pseuds/lady_meatball
Summary: Ten days after her trip to Boston to meet his family, Katie's heading to Atlanta to visit Chris on set and spend a couple of days with him, but when his friends and cast mates 'invite' (demand) they join them to party, it cuts into the short amount of time Chris would rather be alone with his girlfriend 'reconnecting', but when he sees his first glimpse of the party girl Anna told him about, he can't help but smile at the crazy antics she stirs up; plans for their one full day together in the city must be changed to accomodate a hungover Katie and she begins to show signs of coming down with something the night before flying back to Vegas, only, it's not the 'super-bug' making the rounds...and things take a turn she wasn't expecting...





	1. Hey Yeah!/Bad Girl

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Smut-Anal play, penetrative sex, anal sex.
> 
> Katie heads to A-T-L for a few days to see Chris; he introduces her to some of the guys and crew, and they get naughty in his trailer before leaving for the night.

[Originally posted by yourreactiongifs](https://tmblr.co/ZMseho1o_rMmW)

It was a long ten days from having to say goodbye to Chris at Logan Airport; having to try to convey emotions through casual touches and no obvious P.D.A.’s, but when the announcement for boarding of my flight rang out in the concourse, Chris seemed to say ‘fuck it’, throwing caution to the wind and tugging me back to plant one hell of a kiss on me before I left, walking off in a daze with my Niners hat on and the Patriots hat he had bought for me dangling from the closure off the strap of my carry on back. It was ten days of never ending phone calls when we had the time, punctuated with text messages, calls  and Facetime sessions with Lisa and the other members of her house. Ten nights of falling asleep on my own but the bitterness of the situation was eased by hearing three little words through my phone as we both settled in for the night, which usually was accompanied by one last text driving it home-

**I love you Sleep tight, dream of me Babe Miss you XXX**

It was late morning, the day I was supposed to fly out to Atlanta to spend the weekend with Chris, and I had run back to my apartment to change out of my coffee clothes, throwing on my face for a few hours at the salon before catching my plane later that afternoon. I was sitting at the vanity in my room drawing on eyeliner when my phone rang, Chris’ face popping up on my phone, a candid I took of him in his mother’s backyard, smiling under his baseball cap as we played tag with Scott and their niece and nephews. Accepting the call, I couldn’t contain my happiness at finally  getting to talk to him that morning. He had an early call time, and even though he was currently three hours ahead of me, even my 3:45 AM alarm wasn’t early enough to get a quick conversation in.

“Hi Baby.” I smiled, clicking the speakerphone on to allow me to finish my winged liner and keep applying to not be late for the couple of appointments I had after lunchtime to consult with local brides.

“Hey.” He responded; I could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke up, asking, “How was job number one this morning? You getting excited? ‘Cause I can’t fahking wait for you to get here…”

Smiling widely, I loaded up a thin, angled brush with shadow to set the liquid, giving me longer wear and coverage before pressing it over the drying line that ran along my lid.

“It was long…my manager was there and you know how it is when she’s out working with us. She was screaming in the headsets about wait times in drive and shit like that…and she kept hovering! I hate that! Like, I only have two hands and I can only turn out food as fast as the ovens will cook it to the required times…needless to say, I’m looking forward to a few days without that!-” I spouted, telling him about the beginning of my day, trailing off as I focused on the inner corners of my eyes as well as the tails of the wings before adding, “-I AM excited! Are you going to be my tour guide, and show me around?”

“We can drive around Saturday if you want…I have Saturday and Sunday off, so…” He told me, the tone of his voice insinuated he had plans already in place, and they most likely included being naked and not leaving his apartment. “Friday, after you get up, I’ll have the car service pick you up and bring you to the studios. There are some people that want to meet you…”

“Oh yeah? Like who?” I laughed, not believing him as I curled my lashes; assuming the stance on the edge of the vanity, I began applying my mascara with my elbow planted on the hard surface to steady my hand to cover all my lashes.

“Like Anthony, Seb, Jeremy…Downey doesn’t believe you exist! Lizzie’s excited to have another chick her age around…Pratt keeps telling them all you DO in fact exist, and he’s looking forward to seeing you again, he said you better make him more cookies…text me the ingredients and I’ll make sure Josh gets what you need so you can blow their minds with the cookies he’s been telling the whole crew about!”

Cracking up, I had to stop wiggling the brush through my eyelashes to not risk messing up my makeup.

“You’re killin’ me Smalls…but I’ll make cookies…just for you.” I chuckled, shaking my head as I looked at myself in the mirror. A shout on the outer end of the phone called Chris’ name and he begrudgingly told me he had to go.

“You’re Ubering to McCarren right?”

“Yup.” I affirmed, twisting the cap off my lash glue to get my falsies ready and on.

His unhappy sigh had me laughing softly to myself as he told me, “Text me when you get to the airport please…just let me know you made it there and your driver wasn’t a serial killer?”

“Okay, Dad-” I joked, voice dripping with sarcasm to get a rise out him as I went on, “-I’ll keep you posted, I promise! I’ll see you soon…I love you.”

“I love you too, Tinkerbell. See you tonight, Babe.”

The second appointment ran long which had me rushing to get back to my apartment to drop off my car, grab my bags and hitch my ride to the airport; I had been so busy the night before I didn’t print out my boarding pass, so I hadn’t been aware until I stood at my printer, picking up the sheets of paper that Chris had bumped my ticket from coach up to first class.

Muttering to myself, I folded the papers, stuffing them into my carry on as I made my way to the door to lock up. Waiting at the curb, I pulled out my phone, texting him.

**_Really? First class?_ **

My phone buzzed a few seconds later.

**You just realized that now? Geez, you’re normally more observant than that Babe! Haha**

_**I would have been fine in coach. Is this because I told you no when you were about to drop some serious $$ on Loub’s?** _

**No…maybe…OK, yeah. Baby, I just want you to be comfy-more leg room, no overly friendly dudes trying to get all up in your space…plus the meal’s better**

**_Chris…we’re talking about this once I touch down in Hotlanta!_ **

**Are you mad? I just wanted to spoil you a little bit.**

**_Annoyed more than anything…I might need to punish you ;)_ **

**I’ve been very VERY bad, please punish me**

_**We’ll see…gotta go, my ride’s here! I love you XXX** _

* * *

The upside was Chris booked me on a nonstop flight, paired with the upgrade he hadn’t mentioned, it meant a nice long nap as I jumped ahead three hours…the downside was it was almost 11PM by the time I got my suitcase off the carousel and headed out to the taxi line, but a sign held by a man in sweatpants, a faded flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up and hiding under a plain black Under Armour cap caught my eye. Turning to get a better look at the sign, my face broke into a huge smile, as I read.

##  **Welcome to ATL Tinkerbell**

Walking over, I launched into his arms, ecstatic at seeing him. 

[Originally posted by lalbadeisentimenti](https://tmblr.co/ZD0rXs1jN5Gxw)

“You came to pick me up! You’ve been awake since 11:45 PM my time! Babe!!” I cooed, clasping his face in my hands to peck a kiss to his lips quickly, unable to contain my happiness at seeing him sooner than I anticipated.

“I told you, I couldn’t wait to see you!” Chris told me softly, his lips searching for mine once they parted for another exchange. “Come on, Beautiful…I got a nap earlier, but I have another semi-early call time tomorrow…I’m ready to go to bed!-” he confessed, his eyes warm and soft as he smiled at me, but giving away just how tired he was, “-As much as I want to…you won’t be disappointed if we don’t…?”

Shaking my head, I told him, “No, I won’t. Baby, you look like you’re about to zonk out any second! I can wait until tomorrow…sleeping, I’m more than fine with, as long as I get a couple of hours snuggled up with you before your alarm goes off!”

* * *

The alarm sounding woke Chris from his deep sleep; cracking his eyes open in the dark room illuminated by the screen of his phone, he dragged as he patted along the nightstand to turn the obnoxious sound off before it woke Katie from her slumber, tucked into his side with her face buried in his neck but she stirred.

“Noooooo…” She moaned, nuzzling closer as her body stretched, various snap, crackle pops permeating the room.

“Go back to sleep. You don’t have to get up…I gotta leave in about fifteen minutes anyways. Just enough time to jump in the shower to wake up.” Chris yawned, scratching his chest once he unplugged his phone from the charger, setting it on the bed with the flashlight turned on and lighting up the room.Turning his head into Katie’s he kissed her forehead, telling her once more, “Get some more sleep, one of us should!”

Her groaned protest as she wrapped her arms and leg around him tighter made him smile in a lazy manner.

“Mine…”

“Babe, I gotta go…” He chuckled, reaching down her body, patting her ass affectionately before untangling her limbs from his, much against his wishes. A soft whine followed as he climbed out of the bed, catching Katie snag his pillow to cuddle in place of him as he stumbled still half asleep to the en suite, jumping into the shower in the short amount of time allotted to him.

Clicking on the light switch, Chris walked over to start the shower, using the time it took the water to heat up past polar temperatures to brush his teeth before hopping in and instantly waking up as the cooler water shocked his system. He was in the stall long enough to rinse off before hopping out; drying off quickly, he threw on the sweats from the night before, pulling on a t-shirt and a hoodie before walking out of the bathroom to give the sleeping woman in his bed a kiss and heading out to catch his ride with his friends and coworkers that had a similar call that morning.

He had been out of bed all of ten minutes, and she’d shifted diagonally across the mattress, taking up the whole thing; laying on her stomach, she snuggled his pillow, cocooned in the blankets. Kneeling on the bed, he bent to kiss her temple.

“Love you Sleeping Beauty, even when you’re drooling on my pillow…” He whispered, before sneaking out of the room.

* * *

The loud buzzing of a leaf blower outside the building paired with the sounds of a garbage truck tipping the contents of a dumpster into the receptacle woke me. Cracking my eyes open, it took a minute to remember I wasn’t back home, thinking to myself, ‘It’s not garbage day…it’s too early for garbage day…and maintenance is early…this isn’t my room…’; smiling, I caught a whiff of Chris on the bed linens and remembered I was in Georgia. Turning to my side from the position I was sprawled out in, I buried my face in his pillow, inhaling the familiar smells of his soap, shampoo, and deodorant to take my time willing the energy to get out of bed to shower and call for the car.

An hour later, a town car pulled up in front of the entrance; climbing in, I said hello to the driver, a middle aged man with a kind smile and more white than color in his close cropped hair.

“Morning Miss, my name is Tyrone…how are you today?”

“Tired! I had a very long day yesterday, and losing three hours didn’t help, but I’m glad to be here.” I smiled, buckling my seat belt.

Tyrone glanced up at the rear view mirror, making eye contact with me, saying, “Begging your pardon ma’am, but Mr. Evans…he’s been mighty excited about you coming to visit. Been what he talks about most in my car.”

“Has he, now? Good things I hope?” I chuckled, leaning forward to shake his hand before we set off to the studios.

“Yes, but he didn’t do ya justice…you’re as sweet as lemonade on a hot August day, if I may be so bold.” Tyrone complimented me; feeling a blush warm my cheeks, I thanked him.

“Thank you.-” I offered. “-Can we make a stop? Is that allowed?-” I asked; my driver nodded, smiling back at me over his shoulder, “-Alright, let’s grab coffee to go…Chris will need the extra jolt, I need about five shots of espresso to keep me awake and I’d like to buy you coffee, if that’s alright…”

* * *

Once I cleared the security check at the gate and signed the nondisclosure agreements, Tyrone dropped me off with a heartfelt thank you, directing me to the caravan of trailers was situated on the other side of the block of sound stages. A security guard spotted me, walking over to ask if I needed help as I looked around, taking in the new surroundings.

“Umm…I was told this is the way to the cast trailers for the Avengers movie…” I said sheepishly.

“Do you have a visitor’s pass…ah, there it is. Miss…Amerio. Oh! Hello, right this way! Follow me.”

The man in uniform lead me around to the other side of the block, a loud sound of laughter erupting as he gestured me around the trailer at the end of the row; I could pick out Chris’ distinctive belly laugh, sounding like a bark of energy and amusement as a familiar deep voice got loud as he expressed and got into his story for the other people that stood in a tight circle under an awning.

Stopping in my tracks, I stood taking in the sight before me-Chris in ‘normal’ Steve Rogers clothes, holding Anthony Mackie’s shoulder while laughing; Sebastian stood close by, chuckling as he lifted what looked like a bottle of protein shake to his lips, Jeremy Renner stood shaking his head while adjusting his shades in the bright light streaming through cloud cover; a golf cart came zipping past me, startling me out of my hypnosis while it barreled down on Chris and his friends…it had a blonde behemoth sitting in the driver seat, long hair billowing in the breeze behind him and then another followed in it’s dust, with two men riding in it.

“Alright, Evans…where is she?” One of the two men asked as he pulled up to the group, circling them in the cart. Robert Downey Jr. leaned out from behind the wheel, poking a finger at Chris’ ribs as he pestered him lovingly, “I know Pratt claims she’s real, but I want proof! Where’s this woman that has you all-” Robert lifted his hands off the steering wheel to wave in front of his face in a chaotic and comical way as Mark Ruffalo suddenly reached over to take hold of the wheel.

[Originally posted by pimsleplongeur](https://tmblr.co/ZHJawr19fpHTh)

“Man!” Chris smiled, leaning back as he laughed, looking at Robert saying, “She should be here any minute! Tyrone went to pick her up about an hour ago, and with the checks and confidentiality shit-” Chris reminded them, as Hemsworth climbed out of his cart, looking over at me and smiling as he waved.

“What’s she look like again?” He asked. Chris was mostly facing away from me, and a few of the guys had glanced over and seen me.

“About this high-” Chris told them, holding his hand level with his nose to give his friends the visual before adding, “-dark brown hair, beautiful green eyes, curves that will make your eyes cross-” his hands moved to illustrate an impression of my hourglass figure before one moved to grasp the back of his neck, admitting, “-beautiful inside and out…just, fahking perfect.”

“Well, there’s a pretty lady walking over here right now, and I think she likes your description of her, Homie, ‘cause she looks like she about climb yo’ ass like a tree and roost…” Anthony cracked up, pointing at me as I approached, grinning widely, clutching my coffee in one hand and Chris’ in the other.

Chris turned, sprinting the remaining distance left between us to scoop me up.

“Shiiiiiiiiiiit…” I whined upon impact, grimacing at the hot coffee that splashed out of the opening of the lid onto my hand thanks to not utilizing a splash stick in the full to the brim black eye coffee I brought for him.

“Nothing I haven’t dealt with before…Morning Handsome.” I smiled, returning his kiss.

“Morning…I don’t know what’s cuter, you showing up with coffee or you passed out, drooling on my pillow when I left this morning.” Chris spouted, teased me.

“Oh God…please tell me you didn’t tell them that!” I laughed as Chris led me over to be introduced to the present members of the cast.

“I may have told Seb…and Mackie…” He giggled, lifting his cup to blow into the lid to cool the liquid before taking a sip.

“Which means they all know!” I groaned, unable to keep a straight face as we stopped in front of the knot of men, all in different degrees of costumes, some more ‘normal’ and casual, others in ‘super suits’.

“Babe…I want you to meet some of the guys.-” He smiled, dropping his arm over my shoulders, his hand lifting to point at each man as he began. “-Mark…Jeremy…hey, she’s from your neck of the woods, bro! Chris…Seb…Mackie, and last but not least, Mr. Doubting Tom, RDJ.”

Jeremy perked up, curious to hear just where I called home in Central Nor Cal as he extended a hand; Chris interrupted, pushing himself to the front to tell me, in his deep Australian accent, “Hallo, Chris Numero Uno…Alpha Chris.”

Laughing, I fell more head over heels for the guys Chris worked with, seeing all their larger than life personalities up close and in person. Robert shoved Hemsworth out of the way, stepping up to squint at me over the top of his glasses, reaching over to poke a finger into my arm.

“Son of a bitch…she’s real! A woman actually bamboozled Evans into love at first sight…” Robert proclaimed, grinning deviously as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket, retrieving a stack of bills and dispensing them to Sebastian, Mark and Anthony, shaking his head while laughing in good fun.

Anthony stood to the side, one brow raised high on his forehead as he looked me up and down, smiling. Looking to Chris, he punched his shoulder, bellowing “Dayyyum, Homie!” before he muscled his way to me, engulfing me in a tight hug as he said hello.

* * *

The afternoon and early evening was a blur of activity as people got called to set to film, off to wardrobe or hair and makeup to get ready for their next scene, PA’s running around like chicken’s with their heads cut off wrangling the talent.

Chris had got me comfortable, giving a quick tour of the trailer caravan and set; grabbing his hoodie from his trailer, he parked me in one of the director’s chairs behind the monitors, introducing Joe and Anthony as they returned from their trailer, consulting with pre-production materials and the visual effects team on the shots they had just put in the can as well as the ones they still had on the schedule to shoot before calling it a day.

Sitting in the tall chair, out of the way of the production team, I bundled tight in Chris’ sweatshirt, adding a layer of warmth and enveloping me in his scent as I watched him walk through the next scene with Sebastian, Mackie, and most of the other ‘Avengers’ out in the open air green screen set; the fresh cup of cocoa I held kept my hands toasty in the windy weather of the early evening before the shout that the set was live and they rolled cameras, recording as many takes as the Russo’s could manage in the failing light.

The gist of what happened before me was a more serious moment with more dialogue than action as the reunited team came face to face after the fallout of the events in Civil War in preparation of taking on Thanos. I sat watching as Chris and Downey played the nuances of Steve and Tony’s first meeting, feeling so many different emotions at getting to watch them in real time-giddiness for the nerd deep down inside, ecstasy at being there with Chris, but the biggest one was pride in him, for his amazing abilities to convey the smallest hint of emotion in his acting, and for knowing I got to call him mine.

“You must be Katie…” A feminine voice whispered behind me. Jumping at the voice, I turned to find Lizzie Olsen, a wide smile on her face as she rounded the other directors chair on my right to join me.

“That’s me…Hi.” I whispered, holding out my hand to shake hers, leaning in to hold a quiet conversation.

“Lizzie, but I’m sure you knew that.” She chuckled. Nodding, I affirmed her assumption. “You flew in last night, right? Are you planning on going out with the guys tonight?”

“I did, got in around 10:30…still adjusting to the time change-” I smiled, adding, “-which will have me raring to go, so…if Chris wants to go out, I’m okay with that. You aren’t going?”

“Nah…I’m a little ol’ Grandma! I’d rather just sit on my couch, with a wine and cheese, knitting, watching TV-” Lizzie giggled before confessing, “-plus, I can’t keep you with them! I learned THAT lesson the hard way on Ultron…”

Laughing hard, I covered my mouth with a hand to mute the sound while I got my giggles under control.

“I can only imagine…I can hold my own with Chris, but add in the Party Animals that are Renner and Mackie…and a Aussie…-” I chuckled, offering a low whistle after mentioning the propensity for drinking I knew the people from Down Under to have, I laughed with my brows lifting my forehead high. “-I don’t know if I can party with that crew and survive!”

“I don’t know…Chris has told some stories about your party days in Vegas…” Lizzie teased with a chuckle and a knock of her shoulder into mine. Leaning in once more, she smiled genuinely as she told me, “It’s nice having another girl my own age around with all these meatheads-” she pointed at the group on their marks, “-don’t get me wrong, I love them all, and Scar and Coby are great, but it’s like having my sisters around again.”

The connection with Lizzie was instant and wonderful; she sat whispering with me in between  resets, tattling on her cast mates to give me an edge in preparing for a night out. We were lost in our own little world when Chris suddenly appeared, his hand squeezing my knee to get my attention.

“Hey, what’s going on?” I smiled up to him. Leaning down, he stole a kiss; breaking apart, I caught Lizzie trying to hide her smile out of the corner of my eye.

“I’m done for the night…wanna head out of here? Maybe freshen up before grabbing dinner?” Chris asked, the look in his eyes telling me was feeling amorous and wanted to make up for not greeting me properly the night before or that morning before he left. Breaking the glance full of promise with me, he acknowledged his costar, leaning over to pull her into a half hug, planting a kiss to the top of her head out of brotherly affection, telling her, “Hey Liz…you met my girl, I take it?”

“I did indeed…” She grinned, hugging his waist before jabbing him in the side playfully. “I had to warn her about the crew, since I know they’ll crash your dinner for a night out with Jer having tomorrow off…”

“Shh!-” Chris laughed, holding his finger to his lips, trying to dodge Lizzie’s tickles. “-Don’t scare her off…”

“She says she can keep up with you…I don’t think there’s any ‘scaring her off’ if she can go toe to toe with you, Chris!” Lizzie laughed, adding, “And she’s all too familiar with the Australian ‘National Pastime’…I think the only one she might not be able to handle is Jer!”

Just as Lizzie said that, Jeremy lunged into a stretch, walking the length of the cement directly in front of us in the extreme stance, hands on hips, Hawkeye Night Vision glasses in place, muttering, “Caw caw mother fuckers!”

Staring ahead blankly, I said softly, “He scares me.”

* * *

Lizzie and Chris both turned, staring at me for a beat before all three of us burst out laughing.

Walking hand in hand across the lot, Chris led the way to the Hair and Makeup trailer to get the hair piece and prosthetics removed to allow him to leave once he showered and changed into his own clothes. He introduced me to the team, giving me the gift of industry connections over his easy and teasing conversations with the women working in there at the moment.

Pointing to the Polaroids taped up on the wall and mirrors, I asked, “Can I…?”

“Sure, just…no spilling the beans, or we’ll have to kill you…and that would be a shame, we would hate to lose a member of the industry.” The older of the two women said, her tone joking with a hint of seriousness underlying.

Making an ‘x’ over my heart, I said while holding my hand up, my thumb and pinky folded in the Girl Scouts hand gesture, “I swear, Scouts honor!”

She nodded, leaning down to look through the glasses on the end of her nose to begin loosening the different appliances to give my hero that cut, bruised and battered look he wore as the younger woman worked the hair piece that maintained Steve’s hairline. Looking at the photos lining the wall for consistency along with the pre-vis art of upcoming looks, I admired the artistry and work that went into what they did, commenting and asking more technical questions about the materials used, the processes and the continuity going into this project, which the women were all too happy to talk about…to an extent.

“You don’t do special effects makeup? ‘Cause, you know your shit!-” The younger woman said from a sink as she cleaned and washed the wig she just took off Chris, a row of dark red wigs sat on mannequin heads drying next to her.

Leaning against the back counter, I watched Chris in the mirror as the last of the scratches and abrasions were removed from his face, neck and arms. His face was lifted in a lopsided grin as his eyes connected with mine, enjoying listening to me talk shop with a couple of the women he spent a lot of time with over the course of his contract with Marvel, the people that made up his extended family at work.

“I’ve done a little…mainly for specialty shoots friends have done, Halloween, and the projects in school. It’s more an interest and a hobby, the FX makeup…my bread and butter is glamour though-” I admitted, slightly sheepish at humble bragging, “-Matte skin, smokey eyes and contoured to the Gods…that’s what I usually do, but it’s always a nice change to do editorial stuff and more haute art. I’d love to be a fly on the wall, watching you work with the more intricate and complicated applications, that would be worth the price of admission!”

“You on call for tomorrow Poopsie?” The older woman asked Chris, not looking up from dissolving the gum paste on an appliance on his arm.

“Poopsie?” I grinned, staring at him in the mirror; that was gold, and I clung tight to the term of affection the senior makeup artist referred to my boyfriend as. His cheeks turned red, his mouth pinching into an embarrassed frown as I burst out laughing.

“Nah…Joe and Anthony threw me a bone, let me have the weekend off to spend with that laughing hyena back there!” He grinned, hooking his thumb back at me over his shoulder. “I’m beginning to wonder if that may have been a mistake because I see the look on her face, I’m not going to live down your nickname, Robin…”

“Well, that’s a shame, ‘cause I was going to say, bring her with you at call time, she could have hung around, been a fly on the wall-” Robin, the Head of the Makeup Department smiled up at me in the mirror before rolling her stool to the other side of the vanity to dig in a drawer; a muffled curse, and she pulled her hand from her purse, leaning back around Chris with her arm extended out towards me, a business card in her fingers for me to take. “My email is on there, so’s my Instagram…you’re familiar with my work, send me some of yours. From what _Poopsie_ ’s said of you, I might like to work with you someday.”

Chris sat in the chair, beaming at me with his lopsided grin, proud as a peacock in the long mirror. Shooting me a wink, he puckered his lips, blowing me a kiss.

Looking from him down to the card in my hand, I sat speechless for a beat before saying, “Thank you…I’ll definitely shoot you an email or two once I get back to Vegas, I didn’t bring my laptop with me.”

After the Hair and Makeup department gave him back to me, it was back to Chris’ trailer to get him changed so we could head out…but the second he closed the door behind him, he practically jumped me.

“Oh my…Chris!” I yelped in surprise as he tugged me into his chest, picking me up and walking over to the long couch in his sitting area, his hands gripping my ass hard as his mouth connected with mine, opening to tease my lips with his tongue. He collapsed onto the cushions, holding me astride his lap, never letting up with his voracious kisses and marauding tongue.

“Clothes…off…NOW.” He growled into my mouth, his hands working separately; one palmed and worked my ass cheek in the thick leggings I wore under the long flannel shirt dress I had chosen to wear in the iffy weather, letting go only to land a stinging swat to my flesh before rubbing the burn away while his other popped the buttons on the front of the material, letting his hand in to expose my breasts, pulling the stretchy tank and my bra down to support my tits. Leaning the scant few inches between us, Chris flicked the end of his tongue over one nipple, the other before closing his lips on the hard flesh, drawing hard and earning a frustrated but encouraging mewl from me; his left hand, plumping the flesh of my backside, slid around dipping to follow the line of my ass, playing and teasing me from behind.

“Chris…” I whined, fingers carding through his longer hair, closing to fist and pull on the strands at the back of his head, adding a bite of pain to his pleasure; he hummed, signalling he liked what I did as his teeth closed with just enough pressure around my nipple, tugging. “Fuck! That feels amazing…”

“So wet…” He purred; his hand had left its assault on my sex to slip beneath the stretchy material, pushing it down to sit under my ass, freeing me to his attention. Pulling back just enough to talk, he panted, “Back up…those need to be off now, or I’m tearing them off you! Eleven days…I can’t wait any longer, Kay…”

Scooting back off his lap, I stood, shimmying out of the leggings, my thong going with them; I started unbuttoning the last few buttons he hadn’t gotten to, letting the flannel drop to the floor off my shoulders.

“Gahhhhhhd, I love you in flannel…” He groaned as I undid the bra removing it before pulling the tank top up and over my head.

Grinning seductively, I bent at the waist, popping the button on the costume jeans, tugging the zipper to free him from the confines of the denim hugging and molding to every glorious inch of his lower body. Licking at his lips, I breathed, “Ditto.” just as one of his hands reached out and palmed my chest, the other reaching to cup my sex.

Leaning in close, I nuzzled into the underside of his jaw, where the 5 o’clock shadow was beginning to break his skin, relishing the prickly sensation against my nose and lips a second before I sucked at the pulse beating in his neck.

“What do you want, Chris?” I breathed, tracing the tip of my tongue over the the hammering rhythm while his middle finger honed in on my clit, making me hum and moan; my hand worked it’s way under the elastic band of his underwear, shoving the cotton down to free his dick, my fingers wrapped firmly around him, stroking how he liked.

“How do you want me?” I asked again, nudging my nose to his ear to continue, whispering, “Do you want me from behind, bent over the arm of the couch-” I exhaled, earning a tiny shiver from him, “-or maybe reverse?” Licking up the outside shell of his ear, I heard the hitch in his breathing. “Or maybe you want something we haven’t done yet…-” I sucked his earlobe, tugging with just enough pressure to get a growl from deep in his throat. “-what do you want? Do you want to fuck my ass? You’ve been so patient…such a gentleman…”

“I want you riding me…while I suck on those amazing tits, babe…then I wanna eat you out after I make you cum-” He panted as I teased and drove him higher, my mouth at his neck and ear, my hand amping up his desire with the firm, squeezing strokes I was so familiar with before slipping further down to fondle and caress his balls every so often. “-oh Gaaaaahhhhhhd, yes! I wanna fuck you in the ass…please, PLEASE let me fuck you in the ass!” He growled, begging like a child to open his Christmas presents early.

Moving to his open and starving mouth, I panted, “Whatever you want…take it. It’s yours.” Pulling him to me, I needed his mouth, growling around his tongue and nipping his lip, I let go of throbbing cock, tugging at the pants to get him to lean his hips off the couch to rid him of them; smiling at him shoving the denim down his legs the rest of the way to pull me astride him once more, guiding himself into my pulsing cunt, I felt the tip of his middle finger ghost over the puckered skin of my asshole. “But, I’m warning you…if you play with mine, I play with yours…turnabout’s fair play, Mister…” I grinned, licking at his lips and tongue, catching the tip and sucking on it as I sank down on every glorious inch of him, the fullness of his girth heavenly, stretching me after almost two weeks apart.

“Babe…” Chris bit back growl as I began rocking in his lap; his eyes squeezed tight, his forehead furrowed high with his jaw opening on a silent moan. Reaching for his right hand, my fingers closed on his thick wrist, raising it to my lips.

“Chris-” I purred as I rolled my body, picking up momentum as I rode him. His eyes opened, staring into mine, the most beautiful ocean blue topaz; working my jaw, I sucked one finger on his hand, coating it in saliva, mimicking the actions of my hungry cunt on his cock before pulling it from my mouth and directing his hand back around me, to where I knew he had been anxiously chomping at the bit to explore further than the few teasing times he’d pressed a fingertip in to gauge my reaction and reception. My lips brushed his as I whispered, “-Carte Blanche…whatever you want. I trust you…do you trust me?”

The brush of this finger to my tight hole, gentle and barely there had my body shifting, trying to give him better access while still riding him. He looked up at me, pulling my face down to his with his free hand, whispering against my lips, “Yes. I love you…”

“I love you too, Chris.” I smiled, tightening my arms around him, pressing my breasts high against his chest as he pushed past the barrier sinking the tip of his finger; gasping at the slow movement of him pushing farther then withdrawing, a tiny sawing of his digit to work me up both in my reaction and to prepare me for more of him. The touch of a second finger to my entrance as I continued to rock in his lap was exquisite, the fullness and initial sharp bite of my body stretching to accommodate his long, thick fingers, a prelude to what was to come.

Chris’s mouth was attached to my neck, sucking while he hummed and growled naughty things to me, my hips rolling as his middle and ring fingers scissored and worked to open me.

“Baby…where is it?” I asked, panting and barely able to focus on the sheer pleasure of him worshiping my body.

“Where’s what?” He mumbled, kissing down my neck, his free hand cupping a breast to latch onto, drawing hard on my nipple.

“Lube…fuuuuuck!” I groaned as he withdrew his fingers to the very tips to press in on one hard stroke, adding to the sensation of his cock on the other side of my inner walls. Grabbing the back of his head, I pulled his face off of me, staring into his lusty eyes with a gaze of desperation, I pouted, “Please…more…”

“Stand up.”

I wasn’t sure I had heard him, but when he began to shift underneath me; bracing to stand, he held me tight, grunting as he lifted off the cushions.

Clinging tight, I panicked when I tipped backwards, but Chris held me steady.

“Geez, you weigh a lot…” He smiled, smacking his free hand to my ass.

“I don’t hear you complaining any other time…” I teased, hanging on as he hitched me higher and headed to the bedroom. Chris kicked the door open, dumping me unceremoniously on the full sized mattress only to turn and lean into the tiny bathroom, returning a second after a drawer opened and closed.

“On your knees, Babe…ass in the air for me.” He commanded, voice soft and hushed but tone full of power.

I did as I was told, turning onto all fours, backing to the edge of the bed before pressing my face and chest to the comforter. I bit my lip, waiting for his touch to return; I didn’t have to wait long…

I heard the rustle of the shirt he wore as he pulled it off, tossing it to the chair in the corner; the sound of Chris pounding the cap into the palm of hand to bring the liquid to the other end of the bottle as I felt the heat of his body sink low, kneeling behind me an instant before his mouth was on me. One long, slow lick from the top of my seam, teasing my clit before working farther back to my aching pussy.

I couldn’t fight back the whimper that escaped me as his tongue circled and dipped into my cunt, the angle of his attack new and naughty, the feel of his fingers digging into my ass, holding me open to his attention doing a number to keep me turned on, his exhaled sighs tickling my sensitive skin; the tickle of his mouth licking from my cunt further back had a fresh wash of arousal dripping from me as he made first contact. The masculine hum of contentment that vibrated against my asshole as he pressed a kiss and traced the puckered skin with the very tip of his tongue.

“I love you, you know that right?” He said, pulling back just enough to bite my ass cheek with enough force to make my breath hiss at the sting; the next thing I knew, I gasped as a cool stream of liquid touched the skin just above my hole, dripping like runny honey over my sex and onto the cover of the bed.

“Show me how much…” I smiled over my shoulder to him, waving my ass in his face. The gravelly, low sound that rumbled from his chest was one of pure masculine appreciation; a resounding crack of his flesh meeting mine rang out around us in the small room as he snapped his wrist to connect with my skin. “Please Baby…”

The feeling his large hand skimming over my spin, up to my neck and burying into my hair, wrapping the extremely long, straight hair once, twice around his wrist, Chris yanked my head back just as the wide head of cock pressed against my tight ring.

“Yes…I want it, Chris…” I whined, pushing back into him. Another loud smack to my ass, another flare of heat with the sting.

“Don’t be greedy…you said whatever I want, well I want to watch you beg a little while longer…” He proclaimed, voice deep and seductive. “Did you miss me, Baby? Did you miss me loving you until you walk funny?”

“Yes.” I bleated, hands fisting the material as he applied pressure to me but never completely broke the barrier. More of the cold liquid hit the top of my crack, coating both of us; I hissed a breath through my teeth.

“Do you want me to use you as my toy? Want me to pull your hair and smack this beautiful ass of yours while I fuck it for the first time?”

“Yes…please…it’s yours Chris…” I cried as I felt the tip of his cock start to press inwards, the flare of the head widening before he slipped in, the fullness of the ridge of the head as it passed my ring of muscle and I closed around him, was glorious, my body holding his tightly. Moaning at the sheer pleasure of Chris pressing deeper at the slowest rate possible to savor the novelty of the first time, I growled over my shoulder at him, “Faaaaaaahk! Fuck yes, Daddy…”

The slow invasion paused, his hand possessively gripping my waist, fingers biting into my skin to leave proof he had been there. Glancing up at him through heavy eyes, I saw one brow raise his forehead high in question.

“Babe…do you have a Daddy kink?” He smiled down at me.

Reaching one arm underneath me, feeling for him, I massaged his balls as I grinned devilishly back at him.

“Maybe…only when you’re kinky as fuck, and doing all kinds of naughty, sinful things to me that would have the good little Christian girl I used to be turn sixty-nine shades of red…” I confessed. “Daddy and Baby isn’t a lifestyle for me, but God…I’ll call you anything you want when you’re balls deep in my ass, Chris…”

He leaned forward, biting the skin of my shoulder hard; his mouth licked and kissed the pain away as his words rumbled over my back, “I’m okay with Daddy when it’s kinky shit…we might have to find a different name later, ‘cause I don’t know how I’m gonna feel about hearing that from kids that want my attention and you wanting my attention…”

And with that, he withdrew, only to begin finding his rhythm with building strokes; the intensity of his girth and the novelty of it had me quickly approaching an amazing orgasm, one of the best I’d ever experienced to date. The final thing that sent me over the edge and starting his release with the powerful reaction of my body clamping down on Chris’ was one of his hands pinching and plucking at my clit when the other was still wrapped in my hair, holding my head back and exposing my neck for the animalistic bite he gave, similar to what a large predator gives his mate as they couple, showing his dominance. His guttural moan came from all the way down in his toes, sounding next to my ear as he jerked, slamming the last of his strokes as he unloaded into my ass. I could feel the molten essence leaking from my body with the strong twitches of him coming down from his orgasm; grinning sleepily, I reached a hand back to cradle his face pressed against mine.

“I think that was worth waiting eleven days for, don’t you?” I asked smiling and panting under Chris. The feeling of him retreating and withdrawing while I was so sensitive still nearly had me coming once again. His response was one I hadn’t been expecting, but it had me erupting into laughter none the less.

“Mmm…my favorite-” He hummed; I could hear the smile and pride in his voice as his lips kissed my tingling ass cheek, nipping the flesh before I felt his finger catch the string of his release from trailing into my sucking and still aching sex, lifting it to collect the entire stream from my naked taint to sink into my ass once more to tease me. His tongue joined the party, he chuckled as he finished with, “-Bahston Cream Pie…I love you Baby Girl, so much…”


	2. Shots!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Katie head out to change and grab a bite to eat before joining up with Jeremy, Anthony, Sebastian, and Hemsworth along with various members of the crew for a night of partying, where Jeremy tests if she can 'hang' with them and shenanigans ensue.
> 
> Katie listens to Chris recounting the night's activities with a whopper of a hangover; he takes pity and changes the plans he made for the day, surprising her with a fun afternoon before crashing back in his apartment. She doesn't feel well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings- Alcohol consumption, reckless behavior, drunken shenanigans.

[Originally posted by sorryidontlikeu](https://tmblr.co/ZRebxn1Z3-uCs)

We had got ourselves put together enough to take the car back to the apartment he stayed in while filming to jump in the shower and clean up before grabbing a bite to eat and meeting up with the cast and crew looking to have a good time under Jeremy’s supervision. It was a pleasant meal, a quiet and connected few minutes hidden in a booth at a local chicken and waffle house since Chris claimed, ‘Your first trip to the South…I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t get you at least one GOOD true Southern meal…’, and the bar wasn’t far from it, so it was perfect.

“How you feeling…” Chris asked softly, his arm draped over my shoulder, his face leaned in close to mine; his eyebrow raised in a quick movement, signalling he asked about the state of my ass after his pounding earlier in the trailer. The left side of my face lifted in a tiny smile as I reached for another of the amazing buttermilk biscuits in front of me; Chris had ordered a few extra, knowing I loved them and even after loading up on chicken and waffles, rice and beans and collard greens, I couldn’t leave a biscuit behind.

“Sore…but I’ll manage. That’s an uncomfortable I can get used to-” I told him, chewing my bite and holding the remaining biscuit up for him to take a bite only to pull it away at the last minute to steal a kiss. Smiling once we parted, I gave him the food to eat as I told him, leaning in to whisper, “-you taking whatever you want…do you know how amazing your fat cock feels, Chris? I don’t know what feels better, sucking you off, you fucking my pussy or you pounding my ass with that thick, glorious…”

“Katie…” He growled a warning, taking the last of the biscuit from my hand to set on the plate in front of us; his hand held my wrist, bringing it under the table to press to his fly, straining with the magic my words had on him. “It’s been almost two weeks, and I got harassed into bringing you out tonight when I’d rather be back home, balls deep in you…”

Licking my lips, I smiled.

“Maybe if you’re lucky you might get a BJ in the bar bathroom…”

“Killin’ me right now, Babe…”

* * *

“So, you come here often Baby?” I laughed, looking around at the bar Jeremy told everybody to converge on; it was dark, seedy, and I was pretty sure it held host to amateur stripper nights with all the platforms and alcoves dotting the floor.

Chris’ face screwed up, as he nodded. Shaking my head, I rolled my eyes..

The large cluster of people in one corner let up a loud cheer at whatever was happening in the middle of their circle; instantly, Chris and I heard Anthony’s booming voice, and knew exactly where they all were…in the center of that knot.

“Why am I not surprised?” I asked; Chris chuckled, tugging me along side him across the room of the busy bar.

“‘EY!!!!!!!” The group shouted in unison as they spotted Chris; arms flew up into the air or out to sides waiting to give hugs and say hello. Chris welcomed Anthony, extending his arm, but his old friend bypassed him completely, lifting me off my feet in a tight bear hug.

The last comprehensive thought I remember having was ‘This is a bad idea…shots are never a good idea…’ as a line of glasses was placed in front of me…

[Originally posted by wesleywyndampryced](https://tmblr.co/ZbCIPyRQoJpJ)

 “Guys…” Chris laughed, trying to save me from their test, but the group of cast and crew members were ganging up. “Guys! I like this one! Let’s try not to kill her with alcohol poisoning, okay? I only get one full day with her, and I’d like to actually do something other than hold her hair back while she spends all day puking her guts up.”

“Chris, it’s fine…if they need me to pass some test to join your club, I’m cool with that. I’m just drawing the limit at four shots though…” I laughed, patting his arm on the bar top next to me, adding, “I’d like to be conscious tomorrow! And I’m only doing one liquor…no mixing!”

“Tequila!” Renner yelled, slamming his hand on the bar.

Shaking my head, I bellowed, “NOOOOOOOO!!-” Waving my hands in front of me before slashing on in front of my throat, I confessed to the guys and the few women from the crew that joined the party, “-Me and tequila…amigos no mas!-”. I turned back to the bar tender in front of me, watching me with an irritated expression; he had more customers demanding his attention, and me delaying him was no doubt affecting his tips. “-Rum…or Vodka…Vodka! That sounds good…can you rim the shot glasses with sugar for me? And some limes too? Just on the side is fine.”

“Which one?” The unimpressed man behind the bar asked, flatly, pointing to the shelves of different brands and flavors.

“Who’s buying?” I chuckled, looking at the four men.

“Give her Goose, these are on me, Girly…let’s see what you got, California Party Girl.” Renner smirked, pulling his wallet from his back pocket. He pulled out a c-note, pushing it across the polished wood, winking at me with a challenge.

“You Mo-town kids…you’re trouble with a capital T!” I shouted, grinning back at him. He couldn’t refuse my teasing jab, just shrugging with an adorable giggle, knowing I knew all too well the reputation of the ‘valley kids’ and their partying ways. The man working the bar, rolled his eyes while reaching for the big bottle of Grey Goose once he rimmed my glasses the way I had asked to help with the bite of the alcohol and it’s after burn; tipping the nozzle over the first, he poured doubles down the lineup.

Turning to Renner, I quietly cursed.

“Fuuck.”

“Yup, she’s Chris’ girl alright…” The asshole burst out on a belly laugh as the first glass was sat in front of me. Squeezing a lime wedge into each glass, I doctored them up as the men around me jostled and laughed; Chris leaned against the counter, watching me in between sips of his beer.

“I hate you, Jeremy Renner…” I sighed fighting a small smile as I lifted the glass, taking a moment to buck up my courage and begin tossing back the liquid once I saluted him. The first swallow had me making a face at the kickback. “Holy fucking shit…” I exclaimed, sticking my tongue out to lick the sugar off the rim to combat the burn and sourness of the citrus. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Chris shift slightly, knowing that the sight of my mouth open wide, my tongue working to get every last crystal of sugar off the glass had him thinking about my mention of blowing him here in the club.

By the time I got the third one down, I shook it off like a pro just as LMFAO pounded out of the speakers; the numb of the alcohol taking effect was pricking at my fingers, lips and end of my nose, so I grabbed the last double to finish my induction to ‘Pluto, Lord of the Underworld’s Party Crew’. Screaming at the burn, I licked the rim, turning the glass upside down and slamming it back on the counter top, holding my arms out, looking at Jeremy with raised brows.

“Round one…” He smirked, “Let’s see if you’re a match for my boy…”

* * *

Chris stood at the bar, shaking his head, cracking up. He tried to play protector, telling Jeremy to back off and not get her so plastered she’d be miserable in the morning, essentially ruining the only complete day they had together this trip, not when she’d said she wanted to see a little bit of the city…but she accepted the challenge his friend threw down, pounding out the double shots that started off the night in the quasi-gentleman’s club Jeremy had discovered and taken a liking to while they shot Ultron a few years back. She had finished the four he had ordered for her, letting her hair down, so to speak, shortly afterwards, feeling the Atlanta club music full of hip hop, rap and smooth jams, she got friendly with the guys-Jeremy, Mackie, Sebastian and Hemsworth, who had arrived later. Now, she stood on the bar, dancing and shaking her ass with three other women that seemed to be enjoying Lil’ Jon just as much as she was.

“Homie…” Mackie chuckled, smacking his hand to Chris’ chest, pointing up at Katie as she popped and twerked to the beat near the end of the song. “I see why you keep her around…”

Chris let a loud laugh loose, clapping Anthony on the shoulder.

“Dude! That’s the first time I’ve seen her do THAT!” He shouted.

“She something else, man! She like you…a party animal! But with boobies!-” Anthony cracked up, holding his hands in front of his chest, pantomiming boobs. “-Really, REALLY nice boobies, man…”

The song faded out and another thumping, bass driven song started up; Katie was in her own little world up on the bar, getting into the music and dancing on after the other women climbed down to rejoin their friends and groups. In that moment, Hemsworth walked over, joining the two of them, his face pointed up at Katie, broke out into an amused grin.

“Bewbs?” His deep accent asked, his hands mirroring Anthony’s holding a pair of breasts in front of his own massive chest. “Whose bewbs are we talking about?”

Chris saw Anthony’s head turn to stare up at Katie, his face cracking into a smile.

Hemsworth glanced up, taking in the show; his eyes crinkling, as his face broke out laughing when Katie turned, her face lighting up with excitement when she spotted him.

“Hem-o! Oy oy oy, ya dickhead!” Katie screamed at the top of her lungs, squatting to smile at him as she threw her arms around his neck for a hug.

“Hallo, you’re blotto, ya know that?” He chuckled when she broke the strong grip and leaned back, biting her lips. Nodding her head, Katie confirmed his observation before speaking.

“And you’re a giant! Christ’s Oysters, man…there’s something in those billabongs, I’ll swear it to the day I die!” Katie giggled, her hands smacking Hemsworth’s massive shoulders. “Aussie beasts…” The forceful hit to his arm shifted Katie’s balance, and she tipped to one side, landing on her ass on the top of the bar; hands still resting on his shoulders, Katie continued to watch the bigger Chris, fighting back her toasted laughs. “I always feel so petite next to you massive blokes, like a little koala in gum tree…”

Katie said those words and her eyes rounded, her mouth forming an ‘o’.

“Uh-oh…that look says trouble…” Anthony chuckled, leaning over to whisper in Chris’ ear.

Nodding, Chris took the few steps over to break up the fun.

“Come on, Babe…time to get down from the bar. This isn’t Coyote Ugly, and I know your track record…tipsy and top heavy, it’s only a matter of time before you bust that beautiful ass of yours…” Chris called, setting his glass on the bar top and pulling Katie’s arms from Hemsworth.

“I’m fiiiiiiine!” Katie giggled, jumping down to the floor with Chris’ assistance. “But I feel awfully tiny around all you big, burly beasts…-” she said stepping out of Chris’ arms, moving to Hemsworth’s side; holding his arm, she leaned in close, giddy as she added, “-I bet it’s a great view from up there…come down here Uluru, and let me climb aboard.”

With that, Katie stepped around, to his back; placing her hands on Hemsworth’s shoulders, she didn’t give him much warming before jumping up and taking piggy-back position. He hardly moved, but reached to grip the edge of the bar to steady himself as Anthony burst out laughing.

“Katie!” Chris laughed.

“Hot damn, this _IS_ the view to beat…how’s it feel to look up, Peasants?” Katie joked, her hands locked and resting on the top of Hemsworth’s head.

“Babe…come on, come down.”

“No…I like my spot.-” She countered, untangling her fingers from each other to lean down and whisper to Hemsworth, “-Come on Big Fella, turn ‘round…there we go!” He turned at the tap to his right shoulder, making Katie sway and cling tighter, all the while twittering with giggles. The slight movement of her legs spurring Hemsworth on, caught Chris and Anthony’s eyes the second before Katie reached down, snagging Chris’ glass before lifting it high in the air and shouting, “Onward, Ambrosius, my noble steed! Tally Ho!!” 

[Originally posted by wesleywyndampryced](https://tmblr.co/ZbCIPyRQoJpJ)

Chris’ brows raised his forehead and Anthony hide behind a fist, failing to hide his hilarity as he said, “Did she just…did she just tell Hems ‘tally ho’?”

She leaned to the right after shifting the glass to her left hand, reaching downward she smacked his ass, proclaiming, “Ya! Giddy up!”

Anthony looked at Chris, busting up.

“Ohhhhh shit…-” He exclaimed, hitting Chris’ shoulder comically. “-Homie, keep this one around! She’s hilarious, and right up your alley!”

Chris just shook his head, watching as his friend smiled, walking over to ask, “Are you sure she’s not an Aussie?”

“She just does a great impression of you mad drunkards…she’s had plenty of time around your countrymen, man. I’m pretty certain Las Vegas is coming to be translated to Little Oz…”

“Onward, walking gum tree of mancake! I see a go-go platform with my name on it, and you’ll need to boost me onto it.”

“I like her.” Hemsworth smiled, pointing above his head at Katie.

“That seems to be the general opinion…-” Chris chuckled; looking up at Katie, he spoke, “-Babe, come on…”

Katie’s arms and legs tightened around Hemsworth, her face pressing to the side of his head.

“No. Every eucalypt needs a koala…I’ll ride this massive bitches back like Yoda.”

“So now you’re a koala?” Chris asked, stifling a laugh.

“Climbed him like a tree, didn’t I?” She smiled. 

[Originally posted by georgetakei](https://tmblr.co/Zicumt2ABiGuK)

* * *

The sound of of phone buzzing on the nightstand woke us both up. I felt Chris stir underneath me, reaching to grab the device before it rattled off the table.

“No. Quiet.-” I murmured, trying to keep my stomach from turning as he moved. “-Too loud…”

“Shh, Babe…turning it off.” He whispered.

“Too loud still…spins…”

“You hungover?” He asked quietly, but the smile in his voice was apparent even in my wretched state. My answer was a weak grunt. His chest shook under my face, and it was too much. Scrambling, I bolted out of the bed making a straight line to the bathroom, my hand covering my mouth.

“I told you to take it easy last night, they would have listened if you had told them to stop…they wanted to see how far you’d go.” Chris sighed, standing behind me at the toilet, rubbing a hand over my back before grabbing a washcloth to wet; he handed it over and moved to the medicine cabinet for pain relievers before the sound of the faucet turning on filled the room.

“Did I do anything stupid last night?” I croaked, leaning on the toilet seat while my free hand wiped the cool cloth over my face; looking out from behind the washcloth at his tap on my shoulder, I smiled weakly at his hand holding pills and the other holding a glass of water in front of my face.

“Let’s see…you did four double shots of vodka in a matter of minutes at Jer’s insistence…he bought you the good stuff too, and kept trying to push more on you the rest of the night, after the second round of shots he got into you…well, let’s just say, ‘Pluto, Lord of the Underworld’ proclaimed you were worthy when you started putting on a show…-” Chris said, cocking his hip on the bathroom counter, his arms crossing at his chest as his eyes stared off in the distance, recounting the antics I got myself into, “-you jumped up on bar with a few other well endowed women, all employees of the bar…and did your best ‘Dirty South Coyote Ugly’. I didn’t know you could twerk like that-” he laughed, unhooking one hand, he pointed at my back asking, “-how’s your back by the way? ‘Cause you were going to town!”

I groaned, one piece of the puzzle clicking into place and explaining the twinges and sharp, shooting pains in my lower back when I moved.

“I think I threw my back out…” I moaned, reaching back to rub over the radiating pain.

“Then…you did your best impression of Hemsworth, proclaimed he was a ‘walking, talking Eucalyptus tree o’ mancake’ and climbed him like koala before migrating from riding him piggy back to sitting on his shoulders, yelling, ‘I am thou-est Koala, and thou ist mine gum tree, I plan on roosting around your face’-” He admitted, his face betraying the anger he tried to display by breaking into a huge, amused smile as he began cracking up; my face rested in my palm as Chris gained composure and continued, “-I tried to get you down, but you weren’t having it…”

“Oh Gawwwd…did I really tell you, ‘You’re goddam right it’s the accent! You come to bed with a convincible Aussie accent, and I’ll let you do whatever the fuck you want’?-” I asked, my voice tiny; peeking through my fingers at him, Chris smiled, snickering as he nodded. “-Did I say it with an Aussie accent?”

“Yeah…you had Hems impressed…he likes you, says you’re now an honorary Aussie and Hemsworth if you survived last night.-” Chris told me, holding up his hand, one finger telling me to hold my thought as he turned and walked out of the bathroom to head back into the bedroom; he returned a couple of minutes later, focused on his phone as he leaned back against the door jam. “-You rode him like a jockey…told him ‘giddy up’ and my favorite moment of last line…-”

Turning his phone around, he held up the screen, showing me with one arm aloft, pointing forward with a glass in my fingers, while clinging to Hemsworth, who was completely unfazed and didn’t seem to even notice the woman attached to his back until I could be heard yelling, “ONWARD noble steed! To the bathroom, for I have to pee…then, back to the go-go cage, for I want a Super Hero lap-dance! Onwards, Ambrosius…Am-BRO-sius!!!-” I could be heard cackling like mad at my drunken humor as Hemsworth looked back at me over his shoulder, setting off to the bathrooms, I proclaimed, my voice fading as the video ended, “-TALLY HO!!!! Lap-dances, I want lap-dances from all of youuuuuu…”

My palm smacked against my forehead, making my headache start throbbing, and a low, deep groan emanated from my chest. Apologizing from behind my hand, I told him, “I’m so, soooooooo sorry Chris…”

“Oh…it gets better Babe!” He laughed, flicking to another slide on his phone; showing me, he nodded for me to press play.

The screen came to life, showing me on a go-go stage, spinning around a pole, pausing to smile down at the guys and crew members, pointing at different people all while yelling, “You get a lap-dance! And YOU get a lap-dance! And YOU get a lap-dance…EVERYBODY GETS A LAP-DANCE!!” The room erupted in loud cheers as Anthony climbed up on stage, pushing his friends out of the way to ensure he was first.

He pulled his phone back to find the next one, turning his phone once more to show me a clip of me sitting on Sebastian’s shoulders, my hands linked under his chin like a child’s as Chris’ voice could be heard, laughing through his attempts to get me down before Seb got hurt, but I broke my hold, tapping Seb on the top of his head, telling him, ‘Abort mission! ABORT MISSION! We’ve been spotted! Evasive maneuvers! Zig-zag, dodge and weave!’; Chris’ voice could be heard laughing as he called, ‘Babe, he can’t dodge and weave with you on his shoulders! You’ll end up dumped on your ass!’. The look on my face in the video was one of drunken calculation, as my eyes rolled in every available direction for an escape route as Seb started snaking through people, trying to evade Chris when I sat up straight, pointing back behind Chris, shouting, “Look, Tom Brady!’, Chris scoffed, but flinched in his inebreated state, allowing me one second to look down on the top of Sebastian’s head, telling him loudly as my hands lifted to be level with my face as I motioned forward while screaming, ‘GO! GO! GO!’

His grin shined down on me as he locked his phone, setting it on the counter top.

“I think you passed their test…” He laughed. “You gonna be okay?”

“I feel about this big-” I confessed, holding my hand high to show him my thumb and forefinger held about a hairsbreadth apart, “-I’ll survive, but I’m sorry, Chris.”

“Why?” He asked, kneeling next to me, grabbing my hand held aloft to kiss my knuckles.

“For embarrassing you…for acting like a drunken fool…for having a hell of a hangover today…” I rattled off, shifting to lean against the wall of the tub, finally looking at him.

“You’re hilarious when you’re drunk, you know that, right? It made up for any embarrassment, all the laughing I did, watching you turn into ‘Lady Chow’…Anna wasn’t kidding, you’re right up there with me back in my heyday of partying, but, maybe…let’s only let the Party Girl out on special occasions, okay?”

“I’m more than alright with that…I’m getting too old for this shit! I hate hangovers…” I grumbled, wiping the washcloth over my face one more time.

“Well, that’s your own fault, Beautiful…you said you wanted to see some of Hot-lanta, well, I’m taking you out whether you like it or not! I think I’ll be a kind and merciful man and switch up my plans though…something a little slower and low impact to show you I love you.” Chris grinned, leaning forward to kiss my cool and damp forehead with a chuckle; lifting my arm, I gave him a weak shove against his chest, making him laugh out loud, and my head threaten to split right down the middle.

* * *

“Seriously?” I asked, pulling my shades down my nose to stare at the sign as we pulled into the parking lot.

“Seriously…see, I do love you.” Chris looked over at me from the driver’s side of the rental car.

“The Zoo? Babe! I haven’t been to Zoo in…forever! I think I was a little girl the last time I went!-” I smiled, pushing my sunglasses back up my nose to rest in place as he navigated to find a parking space. “-Have you been here before? What animals do they have?”

“Well, you just missed the Panda’s…that was all over the news once I got back from Boston, they went to their new homes…”

“Awww, no!” I whined. “Fluffy pandas, with those squishy faces!”

“Yeah…I’m not too sure about the other animals, but we’ll find out, won’t we?” He said, pulling into a space a few rows back from the main entrance in the late morning sunshine. He put the car in park, turning off the ignition before looking over to me, asking, “It’s not exactly what I had been hoping to do, but it’s okay, right? Nursing hangovers at the Zoo with each other, walking around the park and grabbing a bite before heading back to the apartment to lay low tonight?”

“It’s perfect, Chris. Much better than the time I nursed a wicked wine hangover in triple digits in a Gold Rush reenactment town…stage coach ride, gold panning and boring ol’ period actors and all.” I admitted, pulling my ponytail through one of his baseball caps. He looked at me with an intrigued eyebrow. “Remind me another day, I’ll tell you that story…it’s a little too close to home with how I’m feeling today.”

“Deal.” Chris grinned, tugging me over the console to steal a kiss before we departed the car to go explore the exhibits.

Starting off, we took our time, stopping to enjoy the different exhibits and the animals in them at the front of the park, but the closer it got to one o’clock, the more excited Chris got, steering me towards the Petting Zoo. Unable to help himself, he got two tickets to ride the carousel before pulling me to the giant Aldabra tortoise exhibit.

“Come on…” He said, tugging me over to a young woman standing at attention, waiting expectantly for someone. Stopping in front of her, Chris held out the tickets that would allow us into the greenhouse to feed the ancient living relics, something I had been completely unaware he had procured. “Let’s go feed the animals…”

“Chris…what? How? We get to feed them?” I asked, astonished. He nodded, tugging my arm to follow as our guide turned, leading the way to the entrance of the enclosure.

Kneeling in the greenhouse, the keeper set a bucket of vegetation on the ground at her feet, telling us to mind our hands and fingers, but to enjoy our interaction. A huge shell appeared, walking at a steady pace, not exceedingly fast, but not the stereotypical slow tortoise crawl either…

“Hi Big Al…” The keeper called, reaching into the bucket for lettuce and shaking it to get his attention; the large shell picked up speed as four leathery legs motated over for lunch. “This is our elder statesman of the Aldabra tortoises and the Zoo in general, Big Al. He’s approximately 123 years old…”

The old boy came to a halt in front of us, his long neck extending to grasp for the lettuce in his keepers hand.

“Hi Big Al…I bet you’ve seen some stuff in your days…” I sighed, smiling through the headache out of sheer awe of the creature before me; turning to look up the young woman, I asked, “Are we allowed to touch him?”

“His shell, yes. I wouldn’t recommend trying to pet him…he gets a bit grumpy sometimes…” She told us, handing over a few new leaves of the lettuce for me to feed him.

“Hey buddy…” Chris said softly, reaching out to touch his massive shell. The tortoise was so focused on the food, he didn’t give Chris a second glance as he turned to plant himself directly in front of me.

“You sure are something else…-” I sighed, “-to think, you’re almost a century and a quarter old, and you get around like those youngin’s over there…wow.”

“Are you speechless? Did I manage to shut you up for a few minutes?” Chris teased. Looking away from Big Al as he extended to bite the leaves in my hand, I stuck my tongue out at Chris.

“Just look at him! He’s awe inspiring…no other way to put it!” I admitted before adding, “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me just yet…we got one, maybe two more interactions before we’re done.” Chris winked, reaching into the bucket for his own offerings for the living fossil before us.

We explored the Outback Station Petting Zoo, the Red Kangaroos and the Kunekune pigs my favorite in that section; heading back up front towards the gates, we headed down the other path, past the flamingos and parakeets, stopping to admire the real life Timon and Pumbaa in the Meerkat and Warthog exhibits, down the path to see Black Rhino and Zebra before stopping just in time for the second Giraffe feeding of the day. He had promised more interaction with animals and this was apparently one of them; Chris laughed, taking video on his camera of me freaking out when a huge, long black tongue shot out of the giraffe’s mouth to take the lettuce from my hand…I did the same when he handed his phone over to take his turn. Walking back along the path, he pulled me to a halt in front of the Lions; a few cubs chased and played around the big male, flopped on the ground. He laid on the ground, asleep, with only the end of his tail giving away his annoyance with his offspring as they kept attacking the tuft on the end. A loud grumbled warning left him, and Chris and I both laughed.

“Sounds like you in the morning…” He joked.

“You have no idea…” I answered, giving my best impression of Scar.

“You’re such a dork.” He chuckled.

“That’s my favorite.”

“Lion King?” He asked, turning to face me, his head tilted slightly to one side, giving him that adorable puppy dog look. Nodding, I answered.

“Yeah. That was…IS the only movie I’ve seen in the movie theater over a dozen times. It holds a very special in my heart…it makes me think of my dad.” I told him somberly.

“Do you want to talk…?” He inquired, making me love him for his respectful way of giving me the option to decline talking about something that still had the ability to hurt like it just happened yesterday and not eight years earlier.

“Not right now…it would just bring down the afternoon, and we’re having too much fun to ruin it with my glum.”

“Will you tell me about him? Someday?” Chris asked, a sad smile lifting one corner of his mouth as he looked at me. “He sounds like he was great guy…”

“I’ll tell you about him one day…like I said, he liked you…thought you were pretty slick in Fantastic Four.-” I reminded Chris as we pushed off, heading back to the elephant enclosure. “-He would have REALLY liked you, ya know…personally.”

“I think I would have liked him too, Babe…” He smiled over at me as we rounded the corner and stopped in front of another keeper.

“Are you kidding me? Are we feeding the elephants too?” I asked excitedly, grinning widely.

“Yup…”

“I get to feed an oliphant, Mr. Frodo? For reals?”

“Oh my Gahd! You are SUCH a dork! Yes, now get in there before the nice man changes his mind and won’t let you near Dumbo…” Chris laughed, rocking back on his heels as I squealed in giddiness.

By the time we finished feeding the pachyderms, we headed up the center path, past the exotic bird atrium’s to the Asian animal exhibits, stopping to admire the Clouded Leopards, moving on to see the Pandas, Tigers and Sun Bears before stopping briefly at the Komodo Dragons, Red Pandas and finally bucking up the courage to brave the Reptile House.

“Know any Parseltongue?” I joked, holding Chris’ hand tight as we stepped up to the glass of an enclosure containing some of the regions nonvenomous slithery inhabitants. I caught the slight shiver that ran through Chris as we admired from the safety of the other side of the glass.

“I hate spiders, but snakes are on that list too…why did we come in here?” He asked, stepping back, keeping a respectable distance between him and the reptiles on display. “And don’t mention Parseltongue…that’s the last thing we need…the glass disappearing and the snakes getting loose.”

“I’m not a big fan of them either, but I wanna see the frogs! Gotta get past the angry Death Noodles to see the cute little Hoppers of Death…” I smiled; Chris whined, pulling me along to the next window.

“Well…he’s kinda cute…in his own little reptilian, ugly way…” I mused, cocking my head to the side to get a better look at the little fat black lizard.

“Guatemalan Bearded Lizard-” Chris read from the plaque next to the window. “-One of two of the World’s venomous lizards…welp, I’m never going to Guatemala.” Chris proclaimed as he stood back to full height.

“What about this guy…” I said, pulling him along to another enclosure. Stopping, I stood staring into the foliage, searching intensely for the inhabitant, but it was so well camouflaged I didn’t see it; Chris stood back, letting me lean forward to get a better look. He seemed to forget about his reflection in the glass in front of me when he lunged forward to startle me, so the shock was lost on me, but it got the scaly creature inside the habitat excited; it striked out at the glass, darting out from under a fern before slithering to a new hiding spot.

“Did I scare you?” He asked, voice a little nervous after the Chinese Mountain Viper in its vibrant green camo disappeared once more.

“YOU didn’t…but that did. Don’t stress out the animals just because you are! Come on…and I saw you move in the reflection off the glass…” I told him, tsking at the last as I grabbed his hand, moving on.

It was a few windows later that I found my opportunity to get some revenge…we stopped in front of one of the world’s most nefarious snakes, the Gaboon Viper, and I stuck close, getting Chris to relax the slightest amount I knew he would manage in the Reptile House, lulling him into a sense of security as I got ready.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” I asked softly.

“Beautiful? Katie, it’s a snake…it’s a snake…that will kill you.” Chris reasoned. “HOW can you say that about a snake?”

“Don’t think of it as a snake…just look at its markings. The symmetry and kaleidoscope effect of it’s natural camouflage…it’s the beauty of nature and millennia of adaptation to create the perfect disguise…” I spoke quietly, leaning in to whisper in his ear as I placed my hands on his waist, stepping around him from behind to get closer to the plaque on the wall to read to him. “Look at how thick its body is…it’s an immensely heavy snake for it’s length. Says here, the females can reach up to twenty-five pounds and six feet in length while the males are shorter and less, but with the widest head on a viper, its fangs can be upwards of three inches long, the longest of any snake on the planet…” I told him, digging my fingers into his sides for a jump start; he jumped out of his skin, cursing and scrambling away from the glass.

“That’s not funny! That is **NOT** funny!” Chris glared at me as I giggled.

“Come on, let’s go find the frogs and get out of here…before you have a heart attack.” I laughed, grabbing his arm.

Walking out of the Reptile House, Chris asked why we didn’t stop to watch the Orangutans.

“I don’t like monkeys…or apes. They freak me out.” I answered, pulling him to the next enclosure, the Asian Giant Otters. Leaning on the railing, I settled in to watch the otters at play in their water, squeaking and chattering to each other. “Monkey’s…can’t be trusted…neither can Apes. One flings their own poo for no good reason, and the other willingly cannibalizes its own kind…that and the whole Planet of the Apes thing…now otters on the other hand…squeaky water puppies!” I told him, pointing to the three playing tag in and out of the water.

After sufficient time enjoying the antics of the Asiatic otters, and my explaining the differences between them and the California Sea Otters I grew up loving, we headed off to the final exhibit I had been excited about; the Living Treehouse was home to two different species of lemur, but the Ring-tailed Lemur was the one I wanted to visit.

The enclosure was bustling with activity, lemurs and other arboreal mammals zipping and jumping about above, chasing one another through the exhibit. One in particular Ring-tailed Lemur was curious, coming over to investigate the new spectators.

[Originally posted by zoomine](https://tmblr.co/ZhXkAv1rq2KRX)

“King Julian! He’s so cute!” I giggled, pointing to him.

“Those eyes! He’s a funny lookin’ little dude!” Chris laughed, looking around at all the others.

“My cousin had a cat…a black cat, his name was Pickle…I used to joke he was lemur in a past life, because that’s the same expression he always wore.” I laughed.

* * *

By the time we finished at the zoo, it was going late in the afternoon; Chris had mentioned a barbecue joint not too far from the park the zoo was housed in, so we called in an order and headed there to pick up our food to take back to his apartment to relax. We curled up on the couch, sharing orders of ribs, brisket and sides while zoning in front of a movie that neither of us had really been paying any attention to; while I had recovered from the hangover and the wretched feelings I had battled earlier in the day, now it seemed like something was off, I couldn’t get comfortable, and the nasty feeling of not being quite right had come back with avengeance.

“You feeling okay? You’re awfully fidgety.” Chris asked, leaning his head back to look down at me where I was notched into his body back against the couch.

“You know that feeling, right before you actually get sick where you just feel off? I just-” I heaved a heavy sigh, shifting yet again before giving up and just laying my head back into the crook of his neck, pulling my arm tight around him before continuing with, “-I just don’t feel good…there’s been a hell of a cold and flu combo floating around back home, and most of the girls at the salon have been getting picked off one by one…”

“You want some Advil or Tylenol? Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” He asked sincerely.

“I just don’t want you to get sick…” I said weakly as Chris pulled the blanket off the back of the couch to toss over me.

“I’m as healthy as a horse…don’t worry ‘bout me, Babe. Let me know if you need anything ‘kay? Just relax, take a nap, I’m gonna catch the game highlights from the week.”

Nodding, I snuggled closer, trying to even my breathing out to help me fall asleep, but my body ached, I was so exhausted and sluggish but restless at the same time, like a caged tiger pacing uneasily in my own skin with a tension migraine, my muscles tense and knotted like I preparing to fight or run away, but I had no idea what from…

_‘Nerves-’_ I heard a small voice whisper inside my mind rather sarcastically, _‘-excitement, stress…couldn’t possibly be any of those things…and tomorrow you gotta travel by yourself again…’_

The last thing I remembered was the sound of sports commentators chattering and the scratchy feeling of Chris’ growing scruff rubbing along my forehead as he pressed a kiss and tightened his arm around me.

_‘No…I’m sick, and it’s going to kick my ass, I can feel it.’_ I mentally answered, slipping into  uneasy state of sleep with weird, ominous dreams and cold sweats.


	3. I'll Be Missing You/Somewhere Out There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie isn't feeling well at all as she prepares to leave Atlanta for Vegas, but it's not the 'super-bug' that's making the rounds back in Las Vegas...dawning realization hits her as she feels the start of her affliction and her world comes crashing down around her.
> 
> Alone in the Atlanta International Airport, a kind woman offers a shoulder to cry on as Katie deals with the aftermath while trying to get home and to a doctor. She pushes Chris away to deal with her emotions and what's just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning- Unexpected pregnancy, miscarriage, shock, grief, apathy, depression
> 
> Have tissues.

[Originally posted by stupidteletubbie](https://tmblr.co/ZHCZjl25hqnW3)

Chris shifted, untangling from Katie where she was wrapped around him in her comatose state on the couch of his small apartment. The weeks recap of game highlights was long over, and he had just channel surfed for the last few hours while she slept. Standing he moved to the front door, checking the locks before moving back to the couch.

He had noticed she hadn’t been entirely herself that afternoon, even after the hangover she woke up with had finally skedaddled…looking down at her on the cushions he noticed the dark circles under her eyes, the washed out palor she wore, a fine sheen of sweat covered her forehead, and now that she was by herself with enough room, she curled up into a ball instinctively.

“Come on, Babe-” He whispered, bending over to wipe her forehead clear of the moisture; he felt a higher temperature at the touch, just enough to confirm she was on her way to coming down with whatever super sickness had been floating around Vegas. “-time for bed…looks like no sex tonight.” Scooping her up, Chris stood, walking down the short hallway to get her more comfy in bed and gather up what he thought she’d need-water, juice, pain relivers, an extra, dry t-shirt to change into…

He moved about the apartment, gathering the items and setting them up on her side of the small bed for easy access before he slipped into the bathroom for a quick shower. Walking out of the bathroom, he was still toweling off when he spotted the glass of orange juice was now empty, and the clothes she had changed into once they got back from their afternoon out were piled on the floor and she now wore the shirt he had set out for her, the black Beatles t-shirt he wore the night they met and her panties.

Walking to the dresser, Chris grabbed the first pair of underwear his fingers found from the top drawer, pulling them on and dropping the towel he used into the hamper of dirty clothes before moving to the sliver of the bed left unoccupied to join her. The shift in the mattress as he climbed in and pressed close had Katie whispering, half asleep.

“Wha’? Gonna get sick…”

“I’ll take my chances…come here-” Chris told her, pulling her into his body so he could scoot closer to the center of the bed and away from the edge. “-I wasn’t leaving you out on the couch, and I know from experience it’s not a comfy couch to sleep on…I haven’t seen you and you already head home tomorrow, so…I’ll up my vitamins and hope I don’t catch the plague from you…” Chris explained softly, touching his hand to the expanse of Katie’s forehead to gauge her slight fever better before he removed his hand, and pressed a kiss to it, telling her once he pulled away, “You’re not quite burning up, but your warm…are you sure you’re gonna be okay to fly tomorrow?”

“Have to…” Katie breathed, her arm resting around his waist. “Bills paid…hustle…”

“You’re calling your doctor in the morning and making an appointment to be seen…” Chris said, rubbing his fingers in a soothing massage over the base of her skull, something he quickly learned she loved and would help her relax and fall asleep.

“Okay…” She whispered and then was out.

That one little word was a relief to Chris’ ears, but a tiny part of him, deep down stood at attention, not knowing why, but he felt uneasy and had no idea why as he settled and got comfy, falling asleep eventually, but not before he kept silent vigil, keeping an eye on Katie.

The morning dawned, and it was grey, cold, overcast and readying to rain with the system rolling up from the Gulf. I woke up alone, the sounds of Chris moving about the apartment muted through the cracked door. Stumbling into the en suite bathroom, I went about my business.

Rubbing my eyes, I grabbed the sweatshirt tossed into the chair in the corner of the room, tugging it on as I went out to find Chris in the main part of the apartment.

“Hey…how you feeling?” He asked, spotting me at the end of the short hallway.

“Like shit.” I croaked, brushing hair out of my eyes and back into the hood, which was sitting around my head.

“Go back to bed…I’ve got your clothes in the wash, about to go into the dryer, I’ll get you packed and wake you up before we have to get you to the airport.-” He said, stepping around the kitchen counter, holding the glass of juice he had been about to consume out to me. “-I wish you’d stay…I don’t like the idea of you flying like this…”

“I have to, Baby-” I sighed, taking the glass from him and lifting it to my lips to guzzle the contents. “-especially if I’m taking the whole week of Thanksgiving off to come to Boston…”

“If it’s the super flu you were talking about, they aren’t going to want you working at Starbucks, and I really don’t think your clients are gonna want that as part of their package deal…” Chris pointed out sagely; his eyes roamed all over my body, checking me for signs of concession and anything that would allow him to put his foot down and make me stay. “I’ll take care of shit, Babe, if you miss work…”

“No.” I cut him off. “You aren’t paying my bills, Christopher.”

“Babe…let me help, please? I really don’t think you’re gonna be cleared to work like this once the doctor takes a look at you…” He asked.

“I don’t want your money.” I argued weakly.

“Consider it a loan…” He countered before pulling me into his chest, saying, “I really wish you’d stay…let me take care of you instead of spending hours cooped up in a plane, miserable and with nobody at home to take care of you…”

“I’ll survive…if it gets bad, and they tell me I can’t work, I’ll call my mom. She’s not too far away…she’ll take care of me. I promise.” I told him, trying to reassure him. This was a new side to Chris, the concerned and worried ‘Father Hen’ fussing and carrying on…it made me smile, thinking to myself, ‘Apparently I’m rubbing off on him…’

“You are so stubborn-” He grumbled, hugging me with care.

“Yup.” I agreed.

“-and hard-headed-” He added, making me chuckle softly. “-I love you…but you’re going to drive me crazy, you know that?”

* * *

Pulling up to the drop off curb at the airport, the sky was dark and the rain had arrived, adding to the depressing mood Chris and I were already in at having to part so soon. He parked, threw on the blinking hazard lights to let the security know he was unloading luggage and jumped out of the car to get my door and eventually my bag. We dragged out the goodbyes as long as we could before the rent-a-cop walked over and got involved. Chris gave me one last long hug, trying to plant a kiss to my lips, which I hadn’t allowed until now, since it would be the last one I got until I saw him a week from then in Boston.

“I don’t wanna hear it when you get sicker than a dog…” I teased as we broke the kiss. The sad, bittersweet face Chris made as he looked into my eyes told me he’d be more than okay with feeling like death warmed over if it got me to stay.

“I love you…” He said as a shrill whistle sounded warning us to get moving.

“I love you too, Poopsie.” I smiled tiredly, hugging him before stepping back, but his hands held tight, tugging me to him for one more kiss.

“Let me know when you get home okay? And keep me updated with what the doctor says, if it’s the plague or not.” Chris told me, squeezing my hands before breaking contact as the uniformed man began walking over to tell him to get moving. Nodding, I reached for the handle of my suitcase, waving and blowing him a kiss with a half assed smile on my face as he got back in the car, starting it up, waving to me and blowing me a tiny kiss before pulling away from the curb; watching him disappear into the stream of cars and dark afternoon, I could faintly feel the heaviness of heartbreak at separation through the aching and wretched state my body was in as I turned and headed in to check my bag, and get checked in for my flight.

The uneasiness of not being comfortable in my own skin was becoming to much to bear as I fidgeted and shifted through my time in line and at the counter, growing as I went through the security checks and headed to my gate with my carry on, finally spotting an empty row of seats and taking one at the end; sitting, I pulled out my phone and began skimming social media, but a splitting migraine had me giving up on that endeavor and resting my head in my hand as I leaned on the arm of the seat for what felt like forever as my body ached and the pain and sense of dread of becoming sick built until the moment everything came screeching to a halt as I didn’t become ill, needing to vomit like I had thought, but the feeling of the worst abdominal cramps I’d ever felt had me doubled over in my seat, gasping…

“Fucking cramps…holy hell, they aren’t usually this bad…they weren’t this bad last…oh God!” My eyes rounded as I clapped a hand over my mouth, dawning realization slapping me in the face as every inch of skin on my body prickled, raising in goosebumps, my hair standing on end as I the thought hit me. 

I began hyperventilating as I fumbled to grab my bag, shooting out of my seat, scrambling for traction on the carpet of the terminal as I took off for the bathroom, my heart beating a million miles a minute as terror, panic and shock began to set in. Running into the bathroom, I clipped my shoulder on the corner of the turning entryway, not caring about the sharp pain radiating from the point of impact as I dodged a woman trying to exit and diving into the first open stall.

Dropping my bag without any care for hygiene of the tiled floor, I flung the lock as I clawed at my jeans, shoving them down my hips as I pulled a paper barrier from the holder on the wall of the partition; sitting, I pushed the material down my legs and saw my worst nightmare, wet and shining red pooled in my underwear and pants, the inside of my thighs stained red with the first period I’d had since getting together with Chris nearly two months earlier.

A shuttering breath racked through me as my eyes welled up; staring down into my lap, I felt the tears begin falling, and I covered my mouth to mute the cry that escaped me as I watched my body beginning to flush away the pregnancy I hadn’t been aware of. It wasn’t long before my sudden and unexpected shock and grief turned into hysterics; I sat bent and crying into my hands, sobbing and gasping as the one thing both Chris and I wanted slipped through my fingers, unable to do a thing about it.

A soft knock to the door of my stall sounded, followed by a concerned voice.

“Ma’am? Is everything alright? Is there anything I can do to help you?” The older voice asked.

“Please, just leave me be…there’s nothing you can do. Thank you for asking, but there’s nothing anybody can do now…” I wailed on shaky breathes, my hands clutching my stomach as another contraction of muscles cramping hit and I began crying all over again.

“Sweetheart, from the sounds of it, I’m sure you’re right…” She said knowingly, her voice sad before adding, “But, I can go get you what you need, and a change of clothes…what size do you wear?”

“ _Please_ …”

“What size?”

“Men’s medium.”

“I’ll be be back in a couple of minutes…” The woman said, her shoes disappearing from the the gap between the door and the floor.

* * *

The sound of plastic rustling as a bag was shoved under the door towards me had me looking up from my bent position.

“There you go, Dear…get changed, it will feel better to be out of those pants-” The woman said before she moved away; the sound of the paper towel machine spitting out towels was followed by the faucet running. The booted feet of my bathroom angel reappeared at the gap, her hand holding a stack on paper towels wetted and ready to help in cleaning up the mess of the heaviest period of my life thus far. “-Clean, dry and warm…there are pads in that bag too. I’ll stay out here until you’re ready, Dear…you really shouldn’t be alone, especially if this is your first time going through this.”

“Thank you…” I whispered as I reached for the bag, pulling it to me as my other hand took the towels from her.

“Cheryl. Sorry, my name is Cheryl. Probably should have introduced myself before now, but it was more important to get you sorted…”

I emerged fifteen minutes later, bearing no more physical evidence of the sudden bloodbath and in fresh sweats emblazoned with Atlanta down one side, my jeans in the plastic bag and sitting in my carry on, but I was in a worse state than when I went in the stall; feeling shocked, hollow and broken, I felt like a zombie, the intensity of my crying had left my eyes so swollen I was sure I looked like I had gone a few rounds with a prizefighter, and the sheer pain of what my body was trying to do, violently dislodging the contents of my occupied uterus had me so overwhelmed, I began to shut down in self preservation mode as the older woman stepped back to let me out of the stall.

“Oh Sweetheart-” Cheryl spoke quietly, watching with sad, sorrowful eyes as I turned, looking at her, with guilt and shame haunting my face. “-I’m so, so very sorry.”

“I didn’t even know…” I  admitted, voice cracking as I lost it and began crying again. She pulled me into her arms, rocking me gently in her hug as I let it all out. “I didn’t know! How could I have been so stupid to not know?”

She let me cry, petting my hair gently, offering quiet  words of ‘You let it out…you’ve got a million different things going on in there right now, Dear, let some of them out.’

“I didn’t know, and now it’s gone…and it’s my fault.” I sobbed, clinging to the slender older woman that was so kind in my hour of darkness.

“It’s not your fault. God has His reasons, this wasn’t your fault…” She whispered in my ear, trying to calm me.

“It was. I told him we were moving too fast! I knew it was too much too soon, that something was too good to be true…” I babbled hysterically as Cheryl walked us out of the way of the main aisle and back into a less trafficked corner.

“The father?”

“He’s going to hate me…he wants kids, and I have to tell him…” I sobbed, realizing I was going to have to tell Chris.

“He won’t hate you…this wasn’t your fault.”

“Yes it was…” I cried, guilt drowning me as I thought back to every encounter we’d had since we met; heavy drinking was apart of each one, the night before last especially.

“If he loves you, he’ll understand…if not, well…you really don’t want to share a child with him anyways…” Cheryl offered wisely, leaning back to wipe her thumb under my eyes. Looking at me somberly, she offered, “Would you like to go sit down? I can stay with you until either one of our flights is called to board…you shouldn’t be alone, unless he’s…”

“He’s not flying with me…he dropped me off.” I confessed, my impacted sinuses and soggy voice changing my voice to sound like someone new. Cheryl nodded sadly, holding me at arm’s length for a beat.

“Alright…come on then, let’s get you cleaned up a little bit, then we’ll go find a seat.”

* * *

Cheryl had found us seats in a corner, getting me settled and asking if I was hungry. I shook my head, ‘no’, but she told me, “You will be, trust me…I’ve been through this a few times myself. You’ll end up starving yourself if you listen to the hollowness inside you, so…what would you like to eat?”

She left me in the corner with a the order to call my doctor’s office to schedule an emergency appointment, sooner than the one for the assumed ‘super flu’ in two days. The staff seemed annoyed and put out, but once I said I was sitting in the airport in Atlanta having a miscarriage, I had a rushed appointment wedged in first thing in the morning with the instruction to go to the E.R. if something happened in the night or anything worsened.

Cheryl reappeared with a bag of chocolate, Gatorade, water bottles and two to-go containers from Popeye’s. She handed over one with beans and rice, extra biscuits and held out the bag with different sauces.

“Thank you…” I said flatly as the emptiness of the truth settled over me. “I just…I don’t understand why I feel dead inside over something I had no idea about…”

“It’s called motherhood-” Cheryl told me quietly as she settled back into the seat next to me. “-and even though right now might not be the right time, it just tells that you’re going to be great mother one day…believe me, it’s the worst and most excruciating pain, losing a baby, even so early on in a pregnancy, I know, because I’ve been through it more than enough times myself, but I also managed to bring three healthy, happy and beautiful babies into this world among all those terrible times.”

Cheryl stayed with me for nearly an hour, until her flight was called and she had to leave, but before walking away, she offered her contact information.

“If you want it…I just hope everything will turn out right for you.”

Accepting the slip of paper with her email scribbled on it, I thanked her, telling her, “I need someway to get you reimbursement for what you did for me…”

“Nonsense…it was the Christian thing to do, and my good deed for the day, just pay it forward, that will be enough for me…” She smiled softly, hugging me. Leaning in, she kissed my cheek like a trusted aunt, whispering, “Take your time, grieve…just because it was early on in your pregnancy doesn’t mean it wasn’t your baby…and your man, if he truly loves you, he’ll understand, let him grieve in his way, and you in yours…my only suggestion is, both of you come together and acknowledge what’s happened, talk about it…don’t let it get brushed under the carpet…Hell’s bells, I gotta go…take care of yourself, Sweetheart, and remember, He’s got a plan…” Cheryl said, pointing up at the ceiling as she grabbed her bag, adjusting the strap on her shoulder and walking away.

The tight feeling of loneliness began creeping up on me as I watched my guardian angel of the Atlanta airport walk away, suffocating me as the tiny amount of breathing room the older woman with prior experience had given me faded like a match snuffing out in the dark, leaving me alone with the dark, numbing emptiness inside me.

It was nearly eleven by the time I got home. I had no energy, but managed to send texts to Chris and my mom telling them I was locked in my apartment; I called my friend to tell her I wouldn’t be in at the salon tomorrow thanks to a doctor’s appointment first thing. She asked if it was the super-bug making the rounds, and I didn’t have the energy to make anything up or want to go into reliving what had begun earlier that day, so I lied, telling her yes to cut the convo short. I managed to change in the bathroom, tearing up at the sight of the evidence in my lap as I used the toilet; crawling into bed, I wept myself to sleep.

* * *

Dragging out of my bed the next morning proved to be nearly impossible, I was on autopilot, not showering, not changing my clothes, I popped Altoid after Altoid as I made way to the doctor’s office; sitting in the exam room after what felt like an eternity in the waiting room listening to people sniffle, sneeze, cough and wheeze while surrounded by children of various ages and sizes looming all around, almost taunting me with the realization that their mothers hadn’t just gone through what I was in the middle of, at least not with that individual baby staring back at me with the runny nose, or the cast on a foot, or an appointment for a regular check-up…no, they all succeeded in carrying their pregnancy through and had living, breathing, healthy babies growing and thriving while I sat in a pool of blood that should have been nourishing a new life instead of flushing it away.

The solitude of being by myself was welcome but overwhelming as I stared blankly at the poster of kittens across the room. A soft knock on the door preceded the entrance of my primary care physician, Dr. Hildebrant; she was a small, delicate woman in her mid sixties, with a soft, nurturing voice that put people at ease. Walking into the small room that morning, her eyes betrayed her usually happy face; she washed up quickly, wiping her hands dry as she took the stool in front of the cart with the laptop that contained my chart.

“How have you been, Dear? How are you feeling?” She asked, looking over the top of the laptop at me, concerned at the total and complete apathy rolling off of me in waves, sitting stony on the edge of the exam table.

Turning my face the slightest amount, I connected with her, my eyes flat, my posture defeated, and my voice a whisper when I finally said after a beat, “I don’t feel anything, anymore.”

“I’m so sorry…this is never easy. It’s more common than not, but there’s still such a stigma around talking about losing a pregnancy…I’ve been in your shoes, Katie. My husband and I, we’ve been through this. You’re a healthy woman, in the prime of her life, with your family history, I’m fairly confident that you’ll have children down the line…this just wasn’t the right time.”

“I don’t want to hear that this ‘wasn’t the right time’! I want my baby back!” I spat out angrily.

Shaking her head, Dr. Hildebrant cast her eyes downwards.

“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing to be done…we collected samples when you were brought back, they’ll be submitted for tests, and hopefully we’ll have an answer for you, but most often, it’s a developmental issue with the embryo, and I’m sorry to say, in most cases, the embryo ceases developing one to two weeks before this happens…”

“What?” I asked, my head whipping around to stare at her.

“Your fetus was most likely already gone a week or more before your body began the expulsion process yesterday. You were still pregnant, your body continuing to process with the belief it was nourishing the fetus, but the fetus…” She explained; my head got light, and while the room started spinning I felt a tiny sliver of relief at the information she gave me, easing the tiniest portion of guilt in my heart over the events of the past Friday and the hard partying that had happened. “You look almost relieved at that news…”

“I didn’t know I was pregnant…and I stupidly got wasted Friday night thanks to the insistence of my boyfriends’ friends and co-workers…hearing you tell me the baby was already-” I confessed, choking up and clapping a hand over my mouth to mute the sob as I stopped myself from finishing; it took a moment to get my crying under control to speak again. “-Hearing you say that _THAT_ wasn’t what caused this…it’s the only relief, the only good news I can see in this right now.”

“It’s a start…”

* * *

I left the doctor’s office numb, in a daze, managing on autopilot the short distance back to my apartment, not really knowing how I managed it. I walked into my place, locking the door and letting my purse fall wherever it landed, not caring as I curled up on the couch with another consuming wave of exhaustion and emotion overcoming me. It was barely ten in the morning, the sun bright was peeking around the blinds on my patio door as it crept higher in the sky; grabbing the remote off the side table I turned the T.V. on for noise as I wallowed in my grief, alone and empty. The inner pocket of my purse illuminated with my phone alerting to a notification; peeking at the sliver of screen visible, I recognized the picture I assigned for Chris’ I.D.

Having neither the strength of will nor the energy in that moment, and being filled with so much shame and apathy, I closed my eyes, laying my head back down on a throw pillow, and wept as Chris tried getting in touch with me.

Uneasy naps seemed to be de rigeur as I kept dozing in and out of consciousness for the rest of the morning and early afternoon, until I forced myself to pull my phone from my purse to make the calls to the people relying on my presence at the coffeehouse and salon respectively. More than two and half dozen calls, texts and messages waited for me, almost all of them from Chris, a few from his mother, as well as one from mine.

The latest message was from twenty minutes prior.

**I’m worried about you call me ASAP please <3**

Unlocking my phone, I typed out a quick message, hitting send.

**_Sorry, been napping. Not going to work the next few days. TTYL_ **

**So it is the plague? I’m sorry Babe. Facetime later?**

**_I’m really tired, I don’t have any energy…_ **

**:( But I miss you…**

I stared at the screen, willing myself not to begin crying again. It took a moment to make my thumbs tap out a response, not wanting to video call because I didn’t want him to see me like this, and I hadn’t figured out how to tell him yet, but I knew the second he saw me, he’d know something was majorly wrong and I couldn’t tell him over the phone, this wasn’t something you just blurted out like the weather or catching up with old friends. In that moment, I decided I’d allow myself the week to get my grieving started, to begin the healing process and would tell him Sunday once he joined me in Boston.

**_Chris…I can’t do this right now._ **

**Do what? I just want to see your face, it’s not like I’m asking a whole lot!**

**_I told you-I’m exhausted, and I look like shit._ **

**So you have dark circles under your eyes, and have a red nose, so what? I’d still want to see your face if you were covered in weeping pustules, because I love you, and I need to know you’re okay.**

That message did it, ramming the flimsy wall I had hastily erected around my emotions like a wrecking ball; pressing my face into the pillow, I cried as my mind commented, ‘If you only knew…’

The feeling of my phone vibrating in my hand told me a call was wanting to be answered; drawing my face from the cushion, I looked, already knowing it was Chris before I saw the picture of him smiling and laughing as he chased Miles and Stella around Lisa’s backyard a few weeks earlier. Taking a huge breath, I tried to steady my voice and breathing as I accepted the call against my better judgement.

“Is this better?-” He asked softly from the other end. The massive lump sitting in my throat pressed like lead, threatening to give away my fragile state; swallowing hard, I blew out a shaky breath as he added, “How are you feeling? What’d the doctor say?”

The tears still ran from my eyes, but I calmed my voice enough to say, “I feel like shit, I look like shit, I’m exhausted, I have no energy…she wants me off the whole week-”

Chris interrupted, saying, “I told you she was going to do that! You should have stayed here, so I could take care of you…”

My eyes pinched tight, hot salty tears streaming quietly as I shook my head, his words slaying me right through the heart. 

‘If I stayed, you’d know what happened, and I would have been on a flight home by now…I couldn’t have stayed, I can’t even look at myself in the mirror, let alone you!’ I thought, guilt taking hold at feeling responsible for everything; only once before had I felt such guilt and shame for something outside of my grasp, but I still blamed myself despite the fact…that was the day my parents had sat me down at 18 and half to tell me they were finally going to separate and eventually get a divorce now that I was legal, and I was the only reason they stayed together.

“You don’t need to be distracted right now…and that’s all that I would have been, Chris…” I told him, fighting the lump trying to make my voice break.

“That’s bullshit, and you know it.” He barked through the phone, irritation apparent in his voice at calling myself a ‘distraction’, but with what was going on, it was true, only he didn’t know it; I not only felt such extreme guilt about not being able to perform the one thing I knew I was built for, but for having the wonderful timing of having this happen at the same time as the biggest movie in Chris’ career was in production…I knew if I told him in that very moment, he would have up and left Georgia to be by my side, and I couldn’t let him do that when there were so many people and other factors working in sync to keep and make the deadlines Joe and Anthony had in place to get the movies released on schedule.

“Chris…it’s true, trust me.-” I sighed, wiping a hand under one eye then the other before speaking again, “‘Distraction’ is the only word for it right now…-” pausing, I sighed, taking a moment to get the courage to say what was breaking my heart and surely his as well, “-and I think it might be a good idea to limit our contact for the next few days…”

“Excuse me? Care to say that one more time, Babe?” He asked, his tone saying he didn’t quite understand.

“I think…-” I breathed, inhaled deeply before finishing with, “-maybe try not to call or text for the next few days-”

“WHAT? Babe, what are you trying to tell me?” Chris asked loudly, panic apparent in his voice.

“-focus on work, I know Joe and Anthony have you running around like crazy to let you have next week off. You focus on work, and I focus on recovering…and we see each other Sunday morning at the hotel airport…” I continued, voice high and tight as I wiped my hand under my eyes, crying quietly as I explained.

I learned quickly that a quiet Chris usually meant a fuming Chris, and the silence from his end of the line spoke volumes. When he finally spoke up, I heard the sentence I had been dreading utter from his mouth quietly, asking, “Something’s wrong…what aren’t you telling me?”

“Chris…” I sighed, covering my eyes with my free hand as he pressed further.

“You basically just told me need to take a break, so please, tell me why…I’d like to know _WHY_ you want to take a break after flying you out?”

“I told you…just focus on you while I focus on me right now…”

“That’s fahking bullshit, Babe, and you know it!” He growled through the phone to me.

“Chris…you told me that I get to set the pace now…well, you need to focus on work and we need to pump the brakes, because we’ve been moving _WAY_ too fast, and I’ve got so fucking much on my plate right now I overwhelmed. Please-” I told him, my voice dropping to a whisper as I pleaded for him to not argue with me and my sanity in the stretch of days until I saw him again, with only with my grief, apathy, hollowness and broken heart to keep me company. “-don’t make me spend the miniscule amount of energy I have fighting. You have to trust me…I need time to recover, and I can’t do that with you hovering and breathing down my neck via iPhone…just until Sunday. Please…”

The sudden beeping sounding in my ear made my heart crack, a feat I was surprised was even still possible with the shattered state it was in, but the silence confirmed he had hung up on me; throwing my phone across the room I turned into the pillow and wailed, bawling as I broke down yet again, crying my heart out at not only the loss of the tiny part of ‘us’ we had created but for pushing Chris away out of self preservation and the need of space to grieve, and for hurting him in the process.

* * *

Three days I stared at the walls of my apartment, three days either in my bed, wrapped in the big teal fuzzy blanket, bundled in layer upon layer of clothes with DVD’s playing for noise more so than entertainment or on the couch, curled in a ball; three days of not being hungry but needing something to do, so I munched, on chips, candy, whatever I could manage to find in my cupboards, until the Ziploc bag of Starburst jellybeans from his visit at the beginning of October fell out of my pantry and set me off, thinking about Chris, which set me down the path of thinking about the baby and how I had to tell him still, which brought on another wave of guilt and an anxiety attack.

Friday night, after four days and nights of nothing from Chris, a message pinged, alerting me to the recent arrival in my inbox.

I miss you :’( Talk to me? Please Babe, I gotta hear your voice.

Punching the call back button, it took two rings and his voice met my ears.

“Thank you for calling…I missed you so much.”

“Thank you for giving me space…I miss you too.”

“Are you gonna tell me why you needed it?” He asked softly. It was close to midnight in Georgia, and he sounded exhausted.

“I can’t…at least not right now. I’ll tell you in time though, I promise.” I assured him; the all encompassing despair wasn’t as bad as it had been, I had cried so much I had nothing left at that point, just numb emptiness and sadness now that I’d had a few days to process…it was still a fresh, gaping wound but the shock had at least worn off and now I could begin to wade through the stages of grieving.

His irritated sigh blew through the phone telling me he still wasn’t happy about my answer; the soft sound of Chris scratching himself could be heard faintly a second before he asked, “Did your mom come over and take care of you a least?”

“No. I wouldn’t have been able to manage with her…” I confessed, honestly; I would have strangled her or myself if she had been there and known what I was actually going through and not just ‘the flu from Hell’ that she and Chris thought I was suffering through.

“Baaaaaaabe…you told me…” He whined; I could just picture his free hand moving up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he spoke.

“I know, but I managed by myself…I preferred it that way.” I told him sadly, pulling the blanket tighter around me on the couch before moving the notebook and pen back into my lap to continue writing, journaling and working through things as the emotions hit.

“I don’t wike it…that you didn’t have anybody there, taking care of you…especially when you basically told me to take a hike and leave you the fahk alone…” He confessed, the hurt hardly masked in his voice; pausing he took a breath, changing the subject before starting another argument. “What are you doing?”

“I’m bundled up on the couch, resting…talking to you, I have a movie on for background noise and comfort…” I told him, looking up to see a little mouse in a hat far too big for him search New York for his family.

“Which means it’s probably animated…what’d you put on?” I could hear the smile in his voice as he put two and two together, asking which childhood staple I sought solace in.

“Fievel…An American Tail.” I said softly, a tiny smile pulling at the corners of my mouth as the soft sound of Chris singing to me from the other side of the country, three hours ahead of me by the clock, but in the same exact moment of time for both of us as well as the scene in the movie.

“ _Somewhere out there, beneath the the pale moonlight, someone’s thinking of me, and loving me tonight…somewhere out there, someone’s saying a prayer, that we’ll find one another in that big somewhere out there…and even though I know how very far apart we are, it helps to think we’re wishing on the same bright star…_ ”

Watching the animation of Fievel and Tonya singing the same song for each other at the same time as Chris sang it for me, I lifted a hand to my mouth, falling to tears all over again, only this time, the first happy tears I’d cried at the way my incredible, sweet and romantic nerd of a man seemed to always know the way to show me how much he loved me.

“ _…And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby, it helps to think we’re sleeping underneath the same big sky! Somewhere out there, if love can see us through, then we’ll be together, somewhere out there, out where dreams come true!_ ”

I thought I covered up my sniffling and sobs, but once he finished, Chris asked, “Kay…did that help or not, Babe?”

Nodding, I couldn’t hide the fact I was crying any longer, so I let him hear my soggy answer, realization dawning he couldn’t hear my nod.

“I love you, you big nerd…you always know…know just what to do…” I told him through loud sniffs as I wiped my cheeks free of tears.

“I love you too, Baby. I don’t like this, you on the other side of the country, crying and not telling me what’s wrong, but you’ve been on my mind all week…I just want to hold you and make the tears ago away. You hurting is killing me…” He confessed needed to clear his throat as his voice cracked, tattling that he was about to cry as well.

“It’s gonna get worse before it gets better…” I sighed, heart hurting for him and his ignorance of the situation and what was to come of me telling him in the coming days.


End file.
